Flasher



G. H. LELAND Uct E7, 1933.

FLASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1930 /N 1/5 N TOR.

GKURGEH. LELAND.

ATTORNfY.

Oct. 17, 1933. G. H. LELAND 1,930,761

FLASHER Filed March 31, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2. 4:

INVENTOH. GEOHGEHLELAND.

A TTOHNEY.

Oct. 17, 1933- G. H. LELAND FLASHER Filed March 31, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet3 94 Fig. 51 9/ 11 7,".

fi V 55 5 P k V ALL OFF ALL ON /N VE N TOR.

GEORGEHL ELA/VU.

ATTORNEY G. H. LELAND Oct. 17, 1933.

FLASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 31, 1930 lNVENTO/Q.

EOFPGE H. LELAND.

M g/ k A TT RNE 4 Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orr-lcsFLASHER.

Application March 31, 1930. Serial No. 440,379

16 Claims.

This invention relates to flashers such as are used to control theoperation of electric signs and the like, and more particularly to aflasher employing mercury tube switches.

One object of the invention is to provide a flasher of such a characterthat the switches will be operated in accurately timed relation and willbreak and close the circuits quickly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flasher of such aconstruction that the number of switches embodied therein and the timingof these switches may be readily varied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flasher which will besimple in its construction, compact in its arrangement and may bemanufactured and assembled at a low cost.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the apparatus is describedin detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a flasherembodying my invention, with the casing omitted; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the flasher mechanism, partly in section; Fig. 3 is asection taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5embodies detail views of the several controlling cams; and Fig. 6 is adiagram illustrating-the timing of the switches.

In these drawings 1 have illustrated one embodiment of my invention andhave shown the same as applied to a flasher designed to control anelectric sign in which the letters of the sign word are successivelyilluminated to spell the word and which is provided with a travelingborder. It

will be understood, however, that this particular embodiment has beenchosen for the purposes of illustration only, that the mechanism maytake various forms and may be utilized for controlling signs or otherdevices of various kinds.

In that embodiment of the invention here illustrated the mechanism iscarried by a single frame which is shown in the form of a platecomprising a lower vertical portion 19, and an upper vertical portion 11offset forwardly from the lower portion and connected thereto by aninclined trans-' verse portion 13. The frame may be mounted in anysuitable manner but it is preferably arranged within a casing 14, whichencloses the mechanism, and it is here shown as mounted on the rear wallor" the casing. The casing has a removable front wall 15 to permitaccess to be had to the flasher. The transverse portion 13 of the framehas an opening 16 therethrough and the upper portion 11 of he frame hasa part 17 depending therefrom below the transverse portion 13.

The switches which control the circuits are of the mercury type but itwill, of course, be obvious that any suitable conducting material may beused within the tubes and the term mercury tube is herein employed toindicate the character of the switch and not the specific constructionthereof or the material used therein. The present flasher is adapted tocontrol a sign comprising a word of four letters and having a border oflamps which are so controlled as to impart to the border the appearanceof traveling about the sign. The circuits for the respective letters ofthe sign word are so controlled as to cause the letters to besuccessively illuminated to spell the word, to then darken all theletters, then simultaneously illuminate all the letters, then againdarken them and subsequently repeat the cycle of operations. For thispurpose I have provided four mercury tubes 18, 19, 20 and 21. Thetraveling border is controlled by two double con- 3 5 tact mercury tubes22 and 23 forming part of a border controlling device which is commonlytermed a border chaser. lfiumerous types of mercury tubes are known inthe art and any suitable type of tube may be employed, those here shownhaving been chosen because they were best adapted to the needs of thepresent flasher.

The mercury tubes for controlling the letter circuits each comprises anelongated body portion having near one end a pocket or well 24 and 5having a second pocket or well 25 spaced a short distance from thepocket or well 24. The tube contains mercury in sufficient quantity tofill both wells and to bridge the space betweenthe two wells when thetube is in one position, but the L quantityof mercury in the body of thetube is such that when the tube is tilted to another position themercury in the body of the tube will move out of contact with themercury in the well 24 and thus break the circuit. Each of the wells hasmounted therein an electrode and theseelectrodes are connected withflexible conductors 26 which lead to a distributing panel 27 throughwhich the flexible conductors are connected with the respective lettercircuits. :Each of the mer- L cury tubes 18, 19, 20 and 21, is supportedby a clip 28 which is carried by and forms a part of a tube supportingdevice or bracket 29 which is pivotally mounted for movement about anaxis transverse'to the length of the tube. Connected with and extendingupwardly from each tube supporting device 29 is a trip arm 30 by meansof which the supporting device may be rocked about its axis to tilt thetube in one direction or the other. For the sake of compactness the fourletter controlling tubes are arranged in pairs, one pair being mountedbelow the other and the tubes of the two pairs being arranged indifferent vertical planes. In the construction here shown the tubesupporting devices for the upper pair of tubes, 18 and 19, are pivotallymounted on a stud 31 which is carried by and extends forwardly from theupper portion 11 of the main frame. The supporting devices 29 for thetubes of the lower pair, 20 and 21, are mounted on a stud 32 carried byand extending forwardly from the depending portion 1'? ofthe frame.Connecting arms or levers 33 are pivotally mounted on the upper stud 31and have their.

lower ends bifurcated to embrace the upper ends of the trip arms 30 ofthe lower tube supporting devices and in effect constitute extensions ofthe trip arms of the lower tube supporting devices. By means of thisarrangement of the tubes they can be placed close together and theconstruction of the flasher rendered very compact. The connecting leverswhich are mounted'o'n the upper stud occupy much less space than wouldbe occupied by tube supporting devices. It will be obvious that byvarying the length of the supporting studs the number of tube supportingdevices may be varied and thus the circuit capacity of the flasherincreased or decreased.

The several letter controlling tubes are actuated by mechanismcomprising parts arranged to act on the respective tube supportingdevices to move the same in one direction, to then release the tubesupporting device and subsequently return it to its initial position.Preferably the actuating mechanism for each tube supporting devicecomprises two pivoted members arranged to act on the respective sides ofthe trip arms 30, either directly or through the connecting arms 33, andthese actuating members are so controlled that one member will first actupon the tube supporting device to move it from its initial position,will then be retracted and subsequently the other actuating member willact on the tube supporting device to return ity to its initial position.The mechanism may take various forms and may be controlled in variousways but, in the present instance, it is cam controlled and a separatecontrolling cam is provided for each tube, these cams being indicated asa whole by the reference numerals 34, 35, 36 and 3'7 (Fig. 5). Theseveral cams are, in the form here shown, rigidly secured to a tubularshaft or sleeve 38 which is rotatably mounted upon a stud 39 carried byand extending forwardly from the part 11 of the supporting frame. Theseveral cams are keyed to the sleeve, are spaced one from the other bycollars 40 and are held against axial movement by a nut 41 on theforward end of the sleeve. The actuating members for the tu e supporting'devices are arranged on opposite sidesof the respective cams. As hereshown, the actuating device for each tube supporting device comprisestwo arms 42 and i3 which are pivotally mounted at their upper'ends onstuds 44 carried by the part 11 of the frame and spaced some distanceabove the cam shaft. Each arm has its lower end curved inwardly so as tolie beneath its cam. The" two arms are acted upon by a bow spring 45,the curved ends of which are seated in recesses 46 in the outer edges ofthe respective arms. Each arm has on its inner edge an inwardlyextending projection or tooth 4'7 and the spring 45 presses the teeth ofthe two arms against the cam so that the position of the arms will becontrolled at all times by the rotation of the cam. Each cam is providedwith two circumferential series of recesses to receive the teeth 47 ofthe respective arms and preferably each cam consists of two disksrigidly connected one to the other, the two series of recesses beingformed in the respective disks. In the drawings I have indicated the twodisks of each cam by the letters a and b, the letter a representing thatpart of the cam which controls the actuating member that serves to movethe mercury tube switch to its closed position, and the letter 1)representing that part of the cam which controls the actuating memberwhich moves the switch to its open position. The several cams rotate inunison in the same direction and because of the'interposition of theconnecting levers 33 between the lower mercury tubes 20 and 21 and theiractuating devices the positions of the parts of the cams for these tubesare reversed with relation to the other cams, that is to say, in thecams 34 and 36, which control the upper pair of mercury tubes 18 and 19,the part a or on disk is arranged in front of the part b or off disk,while in the cams 35 and 37 for the lower tubes 20 and 21 the disk D isin front of the disk :2. Likewise the actuating members 42 or on armswhich move the tubes 20 and 21 to their closed positions, are on thatside of the cam shaft opposite the arms which move the tubes 18 and 19to their closed positions. Thus all the tubes are moved in the samedirection to their closed positions or to their open positions by theaction of the cams rotating in the same direction. If desired, a spacingdisk 48 may be interposed between the two disks of each cam and projecta short distance beyond the peripheries of those disks to prevent thelateral displacement of the respective actuating arms and so hold thearms in proper relation to their respective disks. The part a of eachcam has a' peripheral notch 49 to-receive the tooth of the on arm 42 andpermit that arm to be moved by the spring 45 into engagement with thetrip arm or connecting arm, as the case may be, and thus move thecorresponding mercury tube to its closed position. In Fig. 5 I haveshown the several cams in the positions which they occupy when the onarm 34 is in a position to cause the mercury tube 18 to close thecircuit through the first letter of the sign Word. The recesses 49 inthe parts a of the cams 35, 36 and 37, are so arranged with relation tothe recesses 49 in the part a of the cam 34 that the continued movementof the several cams in the same direction will cause the correspondingmercury tubes, 20, i9, and to be moved to their closed positions oneafter the other, thus causing the letters of the sign word to besuccessively illuminated. In the present arrangement this requiresapproximately a quarter rotation of the cam shaft. The mercury tubeswill be held in the positions to which they have been moved by theweight of the mercury therein but, if desired, a slight friction may beimposed upon the tube supporting devices to prevent the vibration of thetubes after their movement has been completed in either direction. Ashere shown, washers 310 are arranged between the adjacent parts on thestud 31 and are keyed to the stud. The tightening of the screw on theend of the stud presses the washers into firm engagement with the tubesupporting devices and the levers adjacent to which they are mounted andexerts suiiicient friction on those parts to retain the tubes in thepositions to which they are moved. The arrangement is such that thedesired friction will be imposed on each tube supigssog'zer.

porting: device and tube operating lever-without. any tendency tofrictionally connect the several:

parts oneto the'other; As-soon. aseonetube hasbeenfmoved to its closed.position the continued movement of the cam will cause the actuatingarm'= 425 to be withdrawn, out. of the path of. the triparm, and afterallthetubeshave been moved totheir closed positions theywilliremaininthose positionsforra further'interval of time which, in thepresent arrangement, equals. approximately a. quarter rotation of thecam shaft. At the end? of. this interval the recesses in the parts I).of the several cams will be brought into linewith theteeth of.therespective off arms iSand these arms will. act simultaneouslyto tiltthe. severaL mercury tubes in.the opposite direction and thus break. thecircuits through the same. The. air-- cuits remain broken for a. briefinterval, at theend of which the recessesbl in. the parts a of theseveral cams are brought into line withthe teeth of the respective onarms 42, thereby causing all of'the tubes to be tiltedsimultaneously'totheir closed positions and instantaneously illuminatingall the letters of the sign word; After afurther. interva-Lduring whichall the sign letters are illuminated, the recesses 52 in the parts I) ofthe cam: are brought into line with the teeth. of the respective offarms 43, thereby again' causing the several tubes to be simultaneouslymoved to positions to open the respective circuits. Aftera briefinterval the recess 49- of the part a of the-cam 34-is again broughtinto a position to move the tube 18 to its closed position and the cycleof operations is repeated.

As will be apparent from the foregoing d'escrip tion the actuatingmechanism is of such a character that each switch or mercury tube willbe moved quickly into and out of its circuit closing position. When thenose of an actuating mem-- ber 43 enters a recess in its cam, under theinfluence of the spring 45, the tube supporting device with. which. thatlever is associated willbe quickly movedv in a. direction to move thetube to its circuit opening or inclined position. The

, continued movement of the cam wili retract the actuating memberagainst the action of' the spring 45, thereby expanding that spring andstoring energy therein. The tube will'remai'n inthe position to which ithas-been moved untilthe nose of the other actuating member, 42', entersa recess in the cam and thereby causes thetube to be quickly moved toits initial or circuit closing position. The forward edges of therecesses in the cam are preferably slightly inclined tothe radius of thecam so that the nose. of'the actuating member will slide down theseinclined sur faces and will gently engage the bottom of the recess, thusavoiding the noise and shock which would result if the nose of theactuating member dropped abruptly into the recess. However, theinclination of the forward edge of the recess is so slight that it willnot appreciably retard the movement of theactuating member.

The several cams which control the actuating devices for the mercurytubes above described are driven from a suitable motor, which is preferably an induction motor and is, in the present instance, mounted in thespace between the upper part 11 of the supporting frame and the rearwall of the casing or cabinet which encloses the mechanism. Qbviouslythe motor may take various forms but, as here shown, it comprises a isk53 carried by a shaft 54 and arranged between the poles of two magnets55 and 56 each of which is provided with a shading coil 57. The

its bearings.

respective magnets are pivotally mounted on the frame-by studs583116.359 and are heldin adjusted, positions thereon by meansof screws:60 which extend through. slots 61' in. the frame and: are threaded. intoarms 62'rigidly'connected with the magnets. By thusadjusting: themagnets about their axes the poles thereof can be caused to. overlapthe". disk 53 to a. greater or lesser extent and the-speed of the motorthereby varied. The motor shaft 54 maybe mounted in any suitable, mannerbut; as hereshown, it is arranged in line the: upper stud 31 whichvcarries the tube supporting: devices 29rf01. the upper pair of mercurytubes. This stud is supported by the forward end of a fitting or. block63 which isrigidly secured to the part 11 of the frame and which has alongitudinal bore 64 and a circumferential opening 65 in the upper side,thereof. The end of the stud 31' is recessed to receive a ball bearing66'andthe end of the shaft 54extendsinto the bore 64 of the fitting 63and has its endtapered to engagethe bearing 66 in. the end of the stud.The othere'nd' of the shaft 54 is also pointed and engages a ballbearing 67 formed in the inner end ofa stud 68 supported" in line withthe stud 31. Preferably the bearing stud 68 is resiliently-supported sothat it will exert axial pressure on the'shaft and cause the same tofirmly'engage As here shown, the bearing stud 68 is mounted in the upperend of a resilient plate 69- which is rigidly mounted at its lower endon the part 10 of the frame. A pinion 70 is secured to the shaft 54,within the bore 64, and meshes: withan idle gear 71 with which isconnected an idle pinion 72 which meshes witha gear 73-rigid- 1y securedto the cam shaft 38','thus causing the cam shaft to be rotated from themotor shaft at a greatly're'duced' speed. Preferably a fly wheel 74 issecured to the motor shaft to assist in carrying the motor across itspeak loads, as when all of the mercury tube switches are 'tobe shiftedsimultaneously. a a

lJhe border chaser, including thernercury tube switches 22 and- 23comprises the subject matter of a separate application for patent (filedby me March 31, 1930; Serial No. 440380) and forms a part of the presentinven ion onlyin so far as it enters into combination therewith eitherin op-- eration or in the assembling of the mechanism. In the travelingborders for signs the several lamps are usually arranged in groups of,say, four lamps each and the corresponding lamps of each group arecontrolled by a single switch, the several switches being so timed thatthe corresponding lamps ofthe several groups will be darkenedsimultaneously and the several lamps of each group will bedarkenedsuccessively, thus imparting to the border the appearanceof longitudinalmovement. In the present apparatus the four circuits for the border arecontrolled by two mercury tube switches each of which is of such acharacter as to control two circuits. As. here shown, each of thesemercury tubes, 22 and curved and is so supported that its central portion will be the lowest portion of the tube. It is through which theyare connected with the re speciive circuits. When the mercury tube istilted in a direction to lower the well 76 the mercury in the body ofthe tube will bridge the wells 76 and 7'7 and close the one circuit.When the tube is tilted in the opposite direction the mercury in thebody of the tube will move out of contact with the mercury in the well'76 and will bridge the wells and '17, thus breaking the first circuitand closing the second circuit. Each mercury tube, 22 and .23, ismounted in clips 80 which are rigidly secured to the lower end of anactuating arm 81 which is pivotally supported at a distance remote fromthe mercury tube, there being a separate arm 81 for each tube. In thepresent instance, the two arms 81 are pivotally mounted ona stud 82carried by the part 11 of the frame and extending rearwardly above themotor disk 53. Each arm has an opening 83 through which extends themotor shaft 54 and the longitudinal edges of this opem'ng are providedwith contact plates 84 wiih which engage a cam or eccentric disk 85rigidly secured to the motor shaft. Thus the rotation of the motor shaftwill impart a very rapid oscillatory movement to the mercury tube, andcause the circuiis to beopened and closed at very short intervals. Theeccentdc disks 85 are so arranged with relation one to the other thatthe circuits will be closed in proper timed rela tion. It will be, notedthat while the actuating arms for the mercury tubes are directly drivenfrom the motor shaft the tubes themselves are supported below thetransverse portion 13 of the frame and on. the forward side of the part10 thereof so that they are readily accessible from the front of thecabinet. The opening 16 in the transverse portion of the frame, throughwhich the actuating arms 81 extend, provides ample space for theoscillatory movement thereof.

The supporting frame 10-11 may be mounted on the housing or othersupporting structure in any suitable manner but I prefer to provide thesame with a plurality of key hole slots 86 and to mount on the housingstuds to enter these key hole slots and support the frame. The lowerpair of studs, shown at 87, are provided at their outer ends with heads88 of a diameter which will permit them to pass through the largerportions of the key hole slots but which will overlap the narrowportions of the slots when lengthwise movement is imparted to the frame.Movably mounted on each stud 87 is a yieldable member 89 which is hereshown as cup-shaped and which is pressed outwardly by a spring 90. Theseyieldable members are of a diameter greater than the diameter of thelarger portions of the key hole slots and act upon the adjacent surfaceof the frame to press the same into firm engagement with the head of thestud. T :3 upper stud 91 alsohas a head 92 to extend through the keyhole slot and overlap the narrow portion thereof and is provided with ayieldable member 93 to press the frame outwardly against the head. The

head 92 of this stud is provided with an up-v wardly extending fingerhaving a downturned end portion 94 of such length that when the frame ispressed outwardly against the head the edge of the frame will engage thedownturned portion or 94 of the head, which will hold, the frame againstlengthwise movement. When the frame is pressed rearwardly against theaction of the yieldable member it will be moved out of line with the lip94 so that it may be moved lengthwise to disengage the same from thestuds. In this manner the frame is firmly supported on the housingbutthere is no tendency to distort or twist the frame. It has been foundthat when the frame is secured to the housing by screws the frame may beso distorted, by the unequal tightening of the screws or the improperplacing thereof, as to throw the motor disk out of line. This isentirely avoided by the mounting here illustrated.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire.to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, a pivoted tube supportingdevice, an arm connected with said supporting device, a pair of pivotedactuating members having parts arranged on the respective sides of saidarm, resilient means to move said members one towari the other, and acomprising two disks rigidly connected one to the other and arranged toengage the respective actuating members and move the same against theaction of said resilient means, and a separating disk arranges betweenthe first mentioned disks and extending beyond the peripheries thereofto retain said actuating members in engagement with their respectivedisks.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a plurality of pivotedtube supporting devices, arms connected with the respective supportingdevices, spring pressed actuating members ciated with the respective andso arranged that one actuating member will move said arm in onedirection and the other actuating member will move said arm in the otherdirection, a cam arranged between each pair of arms, said cams being soshaped as to cause the actuating devices for the several tube supportingdevices to move said tube supporting devices in a predetermined relationone to the other.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a series of tubesupporting devices pivotally mounted on a common axis, a second seriesof tube supporting devices pivotally mounted on a common below saidfirst mentioned tube supporting devices, the last mentioned tubesupporting devices being arranged out of line with the first mentionedtube supporting devices, connecting arms pivotally mounted on an axiscoincident with the axis of the first mentioned tube supporting devices,and connected with the last mentioned tube supporting devices, anactuating mechanism arranged above the first mentioned tube supportingdevices to act thereon and on said connecting arms to cause several tubesupporting devices to be actuated in timed relation one to the other.

i. In a mechanism of the character described,

a frame, a stud extending laterally from said frame, a plurality of tubesupporting devices pivotally mounted on said stud, a cam shaft carriedby said frame, extending parallel with said stud, cams carried by saidshaft, actuating members controlled by said cams to actuate the re*spective tube supporting devices, a second stud extending lateraliy fromsaid frame below the first mentioned stud, a plurality of tubesupporting devices pivotally mounted on said second stud,

arms pivotally mounted on the first mentioned stud and connected withthe last mentioned tube supporting devices, actuating memberscontrolledby the respective cams on said cam shaft for actuating saidconnecting arms, and means for actuating said cam shaft.

loll

side of said frame opposite said tube supporting devices and above saidtransverse portion, and means for operatively connecting said motor withsaid actuating mechanism.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, a supporting frame havingupper and lower portions oifset one from the other and connected by:

a transverse portion, tube supporting devices pivctally mounted on oneside of the upper portion of said frame, actuating mechanism for saidtube supporting devices mounted on said side of said frame andoperatively connected with said tube supporting devices, a motor mountedon that side of said frame opposite said tube supporting devices andabove the transverse portion of said frame andcomprising a shaft, abearing supported by said frame toureceive one end of said shaft, aresilient member supported by said frame, a second bearing carried bysaid resilient member and spaced from the first mentioned bearing toreceive the other end of said shaft, and means for connecting said shaftwith said actuating mechanism.

'7. In a mechanism of the character described, a supporting frame havingupper and lower vertical portions offset one from the other andconnected by a transverse portion having an opening therethrough, aplurality of tube supporting devices mounted on one side of the upperportion of said frame, actuating mechanism mounted on said side of saidupper portion of said frame, means for operatively connecting saidactuating mechanism with said tube supporting devices to cause thelatter to be actuated in a predetermined relation one to the other, amotor on the upper portion of said frame on that side thereof oppositesaid tube supporting devices, a pair of arms pivotally mounted on thelast mentioned side of the upper portion of said frame and ex tendingthrough the opening in the transverse portion of said frame, tubesupporting devices carried by said arms below said transverse portion ofsaid frame, means actuated by said motor to rapidly oscillate said arms,and means for operatively connecting said motor with the actuatingmechanism for the first mentioned tube supporting devices.

8. In a mechanism of the character described a pivoted tube supportingdevice, an arm connected with said supporting device, a pair of pivotedactuating members having parts arranged on the respective sides of saidarm, resilient means to move said members one toward the other, and acam mounted between said actuating members and having two rigidlyconnected parts arranged in parallel planes and having constantengagement with the respective members to retract the same and torelease the respective members alternately and at predeterminedintervals for movement by said resilient means.

9. In a mechanism of the character described, a plurality of pivotedtube supporting devices, each supporting device having a single triparm, a pair of spring pressed actuating members associated with eachtrip arm and so arranged that one actuating member will move said triparm in one'direction and the other actuating member will move said'triparm in the other direction, separate controlling devices acting on theactuating devices of the respectivepairs of actuating devices to holdthe same normally in their retracted positions and to release the samesepar'ately and at predetermined intervals, said controlling devicesbeing so arranged with relation one to the other'that they will releasethe actuat-- ing devices for the several tube supporting devices-in apredetermined sequence, and means for operating said controlling devicesin timed relation one to the other.

10; In a mechanismof the char cter described,

two series of tube supporting devices each having a trip arm, thesupporting devices of each series being pivotally mou'nted'on a commonaxis andthe axis for the tube supporting device-sci one series beingarranged below the axis for the tube supporting devices of the otherseries, actuating mechanism acting directly on the trip arms ofv theupper series of tube supporting devices, and intermediate devices foroperatively connecting said actuating mechanism with the trip arms ofthe tube supporting devices of the lower series.

11. In a mechanism of the character described, an upright supportingframe, tube supporting devices pivotally mounted on one side of saidframe, actuating mechanism for said tube supporting devices mounted onsaid side of said frame and operatively connected with said tubesupporting devices, a driving shaft supported at one end on the upperportion of said frame and extending beyond that side thereof oppositesaid tube supporting devices, means mounted on the last mentioned sideof said frame for rotating said shaft, and gearing connecting said shaftwith said actuating mechanism.

12. In a mechanism of the character described, a supporting frame havingupper and lower portions offset one from the other and connected by atransverse portion, tube supporting devices pivotally mounted on oneside of the upper portion of said frame, actuating mechanism for saidtube supporting devices mounted on said side of said frame andoperatively connected with said tube supporting devices, other tubesupporting devices arranged below the transverse portion of said frame,actuating members connected With the last mentioned tube supportingdevices and pivotally supported in the upper portion of said frame on anaxis above and remote from said transverse portion, drivingmechanismmounted on that side of said frame opposite the first mentionedtube supporting devices and above said transverse portion of said framefor imparting oscillatory movement to the last mentioned actuatingmembers, and means for operatively connecting said driving mechanismwith the actuating mechanism for the first mentioned tube supportingdevices.

13. In a mechanism of the character described, a pivoted support for amercury tube switch having an arm for tilting the same,.an actuatingmember having a part arranged normally in such close relation to saidarm that it may actuate the same Without substantial impact, a springtending to move said member in a direction to actuate said arm, a camacting on said member to retain the same normally in its retractedposition, to release the same for operation by said spring atpredetermined intervals and to retract the same after each operation,and means to restore said arm to its normal position after saidactuating member has been retracted.

GUI

14. In a mechanism of the character described,

a pivoted support for a mercury tube switch having an arm for tiltingthe same, a pair of separatelyoperable actuating members having parts soarranged on the respective sides of said arm that when said switch is ateither limit, of its movement one or the other of said parts will beclosely adjacent to said arm, spring means for moving said actuatingmembers one toward the other, and a cam arranged between said actuatingmembers and having means for re1eas ing that actuating member which isadjacent to said arm to cause said arm to be moved to a positionadjacent to the other actuating member, for withdrawing the firstmentioned actuating member, releasing said other actuating member tocause said arm to be restored to its initial position and to thenwithdraw the last mentioned actuating member.

15. In a mechanism of the, character described, a pivoted support for amercury tube switch having a, trip arm to tilt the same, a cam mountedadjacent to said trip arm, actuating members pivotaliy mounted beyondthat edge of said cam which is remote from said trip arm, said actuatingmembers being arranged onopposite sides of said cam, having their endportions curved about the same and terminating on opposite sides of andadjacent to said trip arm, and spring means to impart operative movementto said actuating members, said cam having its cam surfaces arranged tocause said actuating members to be successively released for operationby said spring means and then retracted.

16. In a mechanism of the character described, a pivoted support for amercury tube switch having a trip arm to tilt the same, a cam mountedadjacent to said trip arm, actuating members pivotally mounted beyondthat edge of said cam which is remote from said trip arm, said actuatingmembers being arranged on opposite sides of said cam, having their endportions curved about the same and terminating on opposite sides 01?Vand adjacent to said trip arm, and spring means to impart operativemovement to said actuating members, said cam having two sets of camsurfaces arranged in different parallel planes to act on the respectiveactuating members. I

GEORGE H. LELAND.

